1 FAMILY CAREGIVING Faculty: Laura Watts, LL.B., National Director, CCEL Webinar 12Part C AGING AND THE LAW SERIES What Every Professional Needs to Know

What is Family Caregiving? Caring for dependent or vulnerable adult family members, rather than contracting this work out to third parties outside the family

What is Family Caregiving? Family Caregiving relationships include:  Short term - weeks or days  Long term - months and years  Fluctuating conditions  Degenerative conditions  Temporary care e.g., post-surgical  Episodic care

What is Family Caregiving? Family caregiving, also known as informal caregiving, is the norm in many cultures around the world.

What is Family Caregiving? Informal caregiving includes the care of friends and neighbors. (People who care for friends and neighbors are the second largest group next to those who care for mothers).

What Do Family Caregivers Do?  Personal care  Communication with doctors and therapists  Emotional and social support  Cooking, shopping and household tasks  Bathing and dressing  Mobility assistance  Operating medical equipment

Statistics On average, employed caregivers report providing almost 20 hours per month Stobart, S. and K. Cranswick (2004), “Looking after seniors: Who does what for whom?” Canadian Social Trends. No. 74, Statistics Canada Catalogue no XIE

More than 1.7 MILLION adults aged provided informal care to almost 2.3 MILLION seniors with long term disabilities or physical limitations. Of these care providers, 70% were employed in Stobart, S. and K. Cranswick (2004), “Looking after seniors: Who does what for whom?” Canadian Social Trends. No. 74, Statistics Canada Catalogue no XIE Statistics

Statistics on Family Caregiving The value of the replacement labour of unpaid family caregiving is $26 billion. Over 2 million Canadians over the age of 65 (2002, Stats Can). In 2007 Stats Can says 2.7 million. 90% of eldercare delivered through unpaid family caregiving.

Statistics on Family Caregiving Over 1 in 4 employed Canadians care for an elderly dependent The majority of caregivers work the equivalent of 2 full time jobs Absenteeism due to caregiver strain costs Canadian employers over 1 billion dollars

Statistics Statistics Canada (2005)

Labour and Demographics People are living longer and birth rates are declining

Statistics Current statistics suggest that 80% of elder care is delivered through informal care arrangements and over 60% of adults with disabilities require the assistance of family members to accomplish daily living activities.

The Role of Women The responsibility to provide care for older adults or persons with disabilities often falls on the women of the family. (Source: Pyper, W. 2006) As the primary caregivers of children mothers often assume care for adult children with disabilities, and as the traditional family caregivers they become caregivers of their elders as well.

Labour and Demographics Women are now just as likely as men to maintain paid employment outside the home, therefore, there are fewer family members able to assume the responsibility of family care.

Labour and Demographics Many families will opt to continue a family caregiving relationship rather than leave the long-term care of a family member to strangers, despite the strain of Having to juggle work and family responsibilities.

Labour and Demographics As the population ages, increasingly people will find themselves struggling to provide care simultaneously for children and parents, or for children, parents and grandparents (“sandwich generation”)

Labour and Demographics Family caregiving is an issue that is likely to impact many of us Supporting caregivers is becoming an increasingly pressing social issue

The Family Caregiving Legal Research Project  Employment law  Pensions  Tax law  Health Policy  Human Rights

The Legal Framework Existing legal provisions fall into 3 different Categories: 1.Compassionate care or family responsibility leave 2.Workplace flexibility 3.Benefits and other entitlements

Compassionate Care or Family Responsibility Leave Allows workers to take time off work to focus temporarily on caring for a family member  Leave may be paid or unpaid  Right to a leave may arise out of the language of a collective agreement

Compassionate Care or Family Responsibility Leave Relevant Legislation PProvincial employment standards legislation (ex. BC Employment Standards Act) EEmployment Insurance Act of Canada PProvincial labour legislation (ex. BC Labour Relations Code) CCanada Labour Code

Workplace Flexibility Relevant Legislation:  Some workers fall under the jurisdiction of federal law (telecommunications employees), while many workers are subject to provincial human rights legislation  Provincial human rights legislation (ex. BC Human Rights Code)  Canadian Human Rights Act Allows workers and employees to find creative solutions to balance workplace and family caregiving responsibilities

Benefits and Other Entitlements A number of laws create benefits that aim to offset the loss of income associated with assuming family caregiving responsibilities. (ex. Caregiver Tax Credit, Dependent Tax Credit) Relevant Legislation:  Provincial Income Tax Legislation  Federal Income Tax Act (Canada)

BC Example : Employment Leave  Employment Standards Act, R.S.B.C.  Limited support for family care  Compassionate Care Leave : 8 weeks unpaid leave for end-of-life care (s. 52.1)  Family Responsibility Leave: 5 days unpaid leave (s.52)  Excluded employees

Income Tax Measures  Caregiver Tax Credit  Non-refundable  Currently valued just over $600  Eligibility linked to financial dependency, disability and co-residency  No link to caregiver labour

Payments to Caregivers  Choice in Support for Independent Living (CSIL)  Ministry of Health  Self-managed care program  Payments to family members only by way of exceptions to policy

Workplace Accommodation of Family Responsibilities  Workplace flexibility  Hours, location, tele-working  Currently at the employer’s discretion

Workplace Accommodation of Family Responsibilities Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination on the ground of family status  Must establish that a facially-neutral rule preventing adaptations to meet family care obligations amounts to discrimination

Workplace Accommodation of Family Responsibilities Test: whether “a change in a term, or condition of employment, imposed by the employer results in serious interference with a substantial parental or other family duty” H.S.A.B.C.v. Campbell River & North Island Transition Society, 127 L.A.C. (4 th ) 1 (B.C.C.A.).

Grace’s Story  Divorced woman caring for both school-aged children and aging mother  Long-term caregiving required for her mother  Works part-time due to caregiving responsibilities  Short-term work history: out of the paid work force until her divorce

Sunita’s Story  Caring for her father-in- law following a stroke  Likely long-term care  Unionized employee working a full-time rotation that includes nights.  Requires schedule changes to maintain caregiving.

Ingrid’s Story  Single, low-income parent of an adult child with a disability  Long-term caregiving needs  Income is a mix of welfare and occasional part-time work in childcare and housecleaning

How Do These Caregivers Fare Under Existing Laws? Sunita cannot get leave because not end-of-life care Cannot get accommodation of caregiving without a human rights complaint Ingrid is periodically and precariously employed

How Do These Caregivers Fare Under Existing Laws? Grace faces pension insecurity. Ingrid faces lifelong poverty. Tax measures are inaccessible.

Law Reform Problem The caregiving labour of all three women is uncompensated, unrecognized and indispensible.

Canadian Comparisons Saskatchewan  Labour Standards Act, R.S.S., 1978, c. L-1, s. 44.2(1)(b).  Serious Illness or Injury Leave  12 weeks unpaid leave  16 weeks compassionate care leave

Canadian Comparisons Manitoba  Income Tax Act, S.M. 1998, c. I10, s. 511(1).  Primary Caregiver Tax Credit.  Refundable tax credit for caregivers who provide significant care.  Amount : up to 1,020 per care recipient.  Can receive for up to 3 care recipients.

Canadian Comparisons Nova Scotia  Allowance to Aid Caregivers  $400 monthly benefit for caregivers who provide 20 hours or more of care per week.

International Approaches United Kingdom and New Zealand  Work flexibility employment legislation  Requires employer to consider requests to modify terms of employment (hours of work, location) where change is required for caregiving.  Employer discretion.  Act sets out broad business grounds for refusal and there is no right of appeal.

Social Policy Question There was a time when a matter, such as work-life balance, would have been considered a private concern for families to work out. But when the economy, as well as families’ ability to live at prevailing community standards, depends on the supply of two workers per family, and when the fertility rate continues to drop, private risks tend to be defined as public crisis. Terrance Hunsley, “Informal Caregivers : Balancing Work and Life Responsibilities”

Options for Reform  Employment leave protection for non end-of-life care  Greater income replacement under EI  Work flexibility legislation  Caregiver allowance  Refundable tax credit  Adult caregiving drop-out provision

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